Small Town Soldier

(Inspired vibe: “Small Town Boy” — identity; twist: how small towns react before/after deployment)Topic: Staying true to who you are despite warTone: Warm, rootsy, prideful, introspective*
Verse 1
I’m a small-town soldier boy, born to the pines,Raised by mamas who talk straight lines.Friday nights were football and fireflies,Sunday mornings meant old men’s sighs.Graduated class of fifty-two—Half my friends still live here too.I left for the world with a handshake grin,Came back older than the years I’d been.
Verse 2
Now folks at the diner treat me like gold,Ask me stories I won’t unfold.Some think I’m brave, some think I’m cracked—Truth is, I’m a little bit of both and that’s fact.The girl I loved still lives down the street,Smiles at me soft when our paths meet.She says I’m quiet, but I’m still kind—That small-town boy she once hoped to find.
Pre-Chorus
War changed my stride, but not my core—This dirt, this town… they’re who I’m for.
Chorus
’Cause I’m a small-town soldier boyCarrying the weight and carrying the joy.Came back broken, came back whole—Both things living in one soul.I ain’t perfect, ain’t trying to be—Just a hometown heart with a worn-out creed.Yeah… I’m a small-town soldier boyWith a big-time story.
Bridge
You can take me far from this winding road—But this place is where my roots still grow.

* Instruments: Acoustic, light electric, fiddle, steady drums, warm bass